5 tips for beginners to learn algorithms
Algorithms can save time, take your career to the next level, and make your brain think outside the box.
Algorithms are a fundamental aspect of computer science and programming. It is essential for beginners to learn and master algorithms, as they provide efficient solutions to various programming problems. They have multiple applications, including data analysis, artificial intelligence, cryptography, image processing, and machine learning.
Learning algorithms can be daunting for beginners requiring time and effort. Still, with some dedication and practice, anyone can learn to love (or at least appreciate) the power of algorithms.
Here are some tips:
First tip: Choose a programming language
You can start with a language like Python because Python has a simple syntax and is easy to read and write, making it an ideal language for beginners. The Python community values inclusivity and diversity, and several initiatives aim to promote these values within the community. For example, PyLadies is a group that seeks to increase diversity and participation in the Python community by providing a supportive network for women and underrepresented groups.
Java and C++ are the programming languages commonly used for implementing algorithms. Java is a popular language for implementing algorithms, particularly in enterprise-level applications and systems. C++ is a powerful and efficient language widely used for implementing algorithms in high-performance applications such as gaming, graphics, and scientific simulations.
Second tip: Learn about different types of algorithms
If you want to learn and practice basic methods of storing, accessing, and manipulating information, choose JetBrains Academy’s Practicing Algorithms with Python track on Hyperskill. By implementing algorithms, you’ll become a more precise and efficient coder who doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. Having completed this track, you will better understand how real algorithms work. That might be useful for job interviews and making your programs run smoothly.
For example, searching and sorting algorithms are essential building blocks of computer science and programming. These algorithms help us efficiently search for data in a collection and organize the data in a specific order. Here are the three most popular sorting algorithms: bubble, sort, and insertion sort.
- Bubble sort is a simple and intuitive sorting algorithm. The algorithm compares adjacent elements in the collection and swaps them if they are in the wrong order. It repeats this process until the entire collection is sorted.
- Merge sort is a divide-and-conquer algorithm that breaks the collection into smaller sub-collections and sorts them independently. It then combines the sorted sub-collections to produce the final sorted collection.
- Insertion Sort is another sorting algorithm that is easy to understand. The algorithm iterates through the collection and inserts each element into its proper place in the sorted part of the collection. It repeats this process until the entire collection is sorted.
Third tip: Learn how to implement the PageRank algorithm
PageRank is an algorithm that Google uses to rank web pages in its search engine. Larry Page and Sergey Brin created it while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. The algorithm uses the World Wide Web’s structure to determine a web page’s importance. The higher the page’s importance, the more likely it is to appear at the top of search engine results. By implementing the PageRank algorithm, you will gain a deep understanding of how it works. You will be able to understand how the algorithm assigns importance to web pages based on their inbound links and how it calculates the PageRank score for each page.
Fourth tip: Move on to more advanced algorithms
Once you are comfortable with the basics, you can move on to more advanced algorithms like graph algorithms, dynamic programming, and machine learning algorithms. The more you practice implementing algorithms, the better you will become. Try to solve algorithmic problems on platforms like LeetCode.
Join the community of 700,000+ learners on Hyperskill
Hyperskill is a project-based learning platform that offers a personalized curriculum and a variety of tracks to help people from different backgrounds gain market-relevant skills through online education. One of our main content providers is JetBrains. Together, we are working on JetBrains Academy–a learning resource for future developers integrated with JetBrains IDEs.
If you choose the Practicing Algorithms with Python track at JetBrains Academy on Hyperskill you will:
- implement and compare classic data structures: arrays, stacks, and queues;
- practice several searching and sorting algorithms (bubble sort, merge sort, and insertion sort);
- find out more about hashing and hash functions;
- work with weighted graphs and trees and try several graph algorithms, such as Prim’s algorithm and Kruskal’s algorithm;
- implement your own PageRank algorithm, the famous ranking algorithm created by Google;
- learn more about Python functions sort() and find() under the hood.
Start your journey today on Hyperskill! If you have any inquiries or would like to share your thoughts, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or reach out to us at hello@hyperskill.org
